


Save Me

by snuff



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A Whole Lot of Stuff, Angst, F/M, F/M 'cause that's my specialty, Fluff, Hanji is Female, No Spoilers, fem! eren
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:08:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2065848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snuff/pseuds/snuff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon King Jaeger's orders, soldiers are sent to fight a war against an adjacent Kingdom to reclaim what was once theirs. Among these warriors is Princess Eren Jaeger's secret husband, Levi, so when none of the soldiers return to the kingdom, she takes it upon herself to find him, but perhaps she won't, and maybe she has truly lost it all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Don't Go

**Author's Note:**

> On a scale of 1 to 10, how sad is this chapter?  
> This is just the first chapter, and I promise I will make the rest of them a little less sad. Maybe.

"You could run away, you know. You're one soldier within thousands. I don't think anyone would care." Eren said, snuggling into her husbands side as he rubbed her back soothingly.

"They call me Humanity's Strongest, I'm pretty sure they would." He replied. The hand on Eren's back stopped and she craned her neck to look up at the raven-haired man. "Besides, this is my duty. The king ordered us to retrieve the soldiers they captured, and I will do just that."

"Levi, if they were able to capture those soldiers, I'm pretty sure they'd be able to capture others, too." Levi sighed and tucked Eren's hair behind her ears, letting his fingers linger on the earrings he had bought her. He would never tell her it was possibly the last gift he would ever buy her, but he knew she probably knew anyway. 

"There's nothing we can do about it, Eren. We're riding off tomorrow." 

"I'll talk to my father, maybe he'll change his mind--" Eren was cut off by another deep sigh from Levi. 

"Eren, don't worry about me. I'll come back, I promise." Levi was never one for empty promises, but Eren would never calm down otherwise. He didn't want to leave her as a mess. He wouldn't be able to keep her stable while he was gone, but he could keep her hopeful.

Eren gazed at him with glossy, pleading eyes. Levi pulled her up so her face was level with his and, with delicate fingers, he shut her lids to keep the unshed tears at bay, then kissed both her eyes. He then eased her head into the crook of his neck and ran his fingers through her long hair as she sobbed.

Her voice was muffled by his skin but he could hear the words she mumbled In between sobs and he returned them just as genuinely. 

"I love you, I love you so much, Levi." She cried. 

"I love you, too, Eren." He replied, his voice low and soothing. 

* * *

It was a few hours before dawn, and Levi was supposed to be on his way to the stables at the military HQ. Instead, he was still lying in bed, his wife in his arms. She had finally fallen asleep just a few hours ago, and despite looking so peaceful in her slumber, Levi could tell she would do nothing but worry as soon as she awoke to an empty bed. He had no choice, though. They had talked about this before they even got married in secret.

Their first agreement was that they would keep it a secret, for it was a disgrace for the princess of the Virgin Kingdom to have any kind of relationship with another man. Only the princes and kings of the castle were allowed to marry--possibly multiple times--and have only one child with each wife to become the heir of the throne.

Their second was that Levi would still fulfill his every duty, even war. And that Eren would fulfill her own duties as a princess (which include caring for her brothers' children, since they have their own duties to render to) without a glitch. 

So far, their marriage hadn't been revealed, and they remain under the shadows in the King's castle. Despite it being rather difficult, they have gone through several months without a hitch, and they were hopeful it would resume as so.

But at the moment, Levi had to put his mind where his heart is and get out before they notice Humanity's Strongest is missing from the stables, and the HQ. So with a heavy heart and aching mind, he gently lifts Eren off his own body and rests her head on the plush pillow. Slowly, as to not dip the mattress too harshly, he brought his legs over the edge of the bed and stood barefooted on the cold ground. 

He removed his clothes, noticing the smell of cinnamon and sweet perfume clung to his shirt, and replaced them with his military attire. His boots clicked softly against the floor as he walked back to the bed, bidding his wife goodbye with a soft, grief-stricken voice and a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"I love you." He whispered, then left from the window, skirting out of the guards' vision, and successfully leaving the large patch of ground and headed towards the stables on his feet.

 

Eren woke up shortly after. The first thing she noticed was that the bed was empty, but some warmth still lingered where he previously lay. Then, his nightwear on her bedside table. Finally, she noticed something dry on her forehead. She realized upon touching it was definitely a trail of dried tears. He must've been crying.

He never left his nightwear here. It was too risky, and he was worried that if one of the servants found it, they would run to the king right away. Picking it off the bedside table, Eren was amoured with the softness of the fabric, and familiar feel of it. With shaking fingers, she brought it to her nose, instantly catching the smell her husband carried around of lavender and something that resembled dirt, not in the lack of cleanliness but in a way that brought it's familiarity and sting to the nose. She loved it more than she did anything else.

As if a nerve finally snapped, Eren began to cry, her tears falling onto the neatly folded clothes and her body shaking with the effort of trying to keep from screaming. Their was an aching in her chest, like a twist to her heart with every breath she took, and a heaviness in her entire being. 

He promised he will be back, but how could he know? She didn't want to doubt him, it only hurt her more to have such low faith in him, but she couldn't help it. He couldn't possibly be sure he will come back. But oh, did she wish he was.

She was a sobbing mess when Petra, her servant, walked in to wake her up.

"Rise and shine, pri--" The woman's eyes widened as she took in the sight, and her gaze turned sorry when she saw what the princess held against her chest. "Oh, my..." She whispered before shutting the door and rushing to the princess's side.

"Petra," Eren said in between sobs, voice wavering horribly, "please, don't tell..." She couldn't finish her sentence before more sobs racked her body. The servant pulled her into her arms and tried to soothe her with the softest voice and the most delicate touches.

"Don't worry, princess. Don't worry." 

Eren cried until her tears had dried out and her throat became soar. Petra lay her back down onto the bed and let her sleep. 

That night, Eren woke up with the bundle of clothes still beside her, and Petra was only just walking into the room.

"Ah, good evening, princess." She said with a cautious smile. 

"I already told you not to call me that." Eren replied hoarsely. Speaking stung a little, and her head ached horribly which caused her to wince slightly.

"But that would disrespectful, wouldn't it?" Petra retorted, shutting the door and walking towards Eren.

"Not if I allow it." The princess rolled over and swung her feet off the edge of the bed. She stilled there momentarily, recalling everything. She had to fight off another wave of tears.

"How are you feeling? Do you need my assistance with anything?" The servant asked politely.

"No. Thank you, Petra." 

"Very well. I will help prepare the table for dinner. It will be ready in a few minutes." Eren nodded and Petra bowed her head shortly before heading out.

Eren ambled to the large bathroom connected to her own even larger bedroom, and turned on the shower to give it time to warm up before undressing. Hopping under the lukewarm water, she tried not to think about Levi and where he could be at the moment and instead focused on dinner.

She was starving, and her mouth was very dry. She wondered what they would be having for dinner; she remembered Sasha said she had been wanting to make beef cubes with rice, topped with her 'special sauce'. Maybe she had made that tonight...

After her quick shower, she headed to the dining room to see that her father and brothers, Armin and Jean, were already sitting at their respective seats. With barely contained surprise, she saw that Mikasa, her sister, was nowhere to be found.

"Good evening, Eren." Her father greeted in a soft, yet strict, voice. Jean and Armin both turned at the sound of her name, the latter smiling around a mouthful of beef and rice, while the former scowled at her.

"You look like shit!" He burst. Armin elbowed his brother and their father shot him a warning glare, but then he turned back to Eren and she could instantly tell that he noticed this too, and he would definitely be interrogating her later. 

She sat in her seat and ate quietly, excluding herself from her family's conversation. Armin was laughing about something, but his laughter died immediately when his eyes landed on his sister.

"Eren," he called, grabbing her attention. "When did you get those earrings?" 

 


	2. The Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Memories that feel like long lost dreams. Truths that Eren wishes were dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! A long chapter because I'm feeling generous. I'm probably gonna write longer ones in the future because I feel like many of this story's chapters need to be lengthy. Anyway, still kind of sad. Kind of.

"Eren," Armin called, grabbing her attention. "When did you get those earrings?" 

The princess's face paled and her hands stilled in the process of slicing a piece of meat. All three men at the table stared at her now, one of their glares accusing.

"I...uh...I bought it from the village." She lied, hoping they wouldn't notice that she hasn't gone anywhere lately, since she was secretly spending my time with Levi.

"Oh. Well, it looks wonderful." Armin said cheerily after a few pregnant moments. Everybody went back to eating the food, and she emptied her plate in record speed before excusing herself and rushing to her room.

Petra was already in her room, cleaning it up. She stopped humming when the princess walked in but she stopped everything altogether when she noticed the breathlessness in her voice when she spoke.

"What's the matter, princess?" She asked in concern. 

"Petra, may I speak to you about something? But you must keep it a secret." 

"Of course, anything." Eren sat on the bed and Petra followed, sitting a few inches away.

"The clothes that you found with me earlier today," She paused and Petra remained quiet, giving her all the time and space she needs. "They were a man's." The servant was only a little surprised, although she had made that guess well on her own. 

"Don't worry, princess. I won't tell." She promised, placing a calming hand over Eren's. The princess was glad for Petra. She didn't know what she would possibly do without somebody so close to her. Someone who she had always seen more as a friend than a servant. Sometimes, Petra was even fit to be her mother, especially since she had been taking care of her since she was little.

"He's a soldier, Petra." She said, allowing a couple of tears to run down her cheeks. That's when the servant realised the reason for the girl's grief, and immediately tucked her into her arms.  

"Oh, Eren..." She whispered whilst rubbing the other's back.

"Hey," Eren laughed shakily. "You finally called me by my name." Petra clicked her tongue and sighed, but smiled nonetheless.

"I shouldn't. Your father could possibly decapitate me if he heard of this." Eren's arms tightened around Petra's waist and she shook her head.

"The man doesn't feel a slither of hatred towards you. He'd probably behead me for letting you use my name." They both laughed quietly.

"Do you mind telling me about him?" Petra asked after a couple of minutes.

"Father?" 

"No. The soldier." 

"Oh," Eren sat up and twisted her body to face Petra. "He was quite rude when I first met him. He was far from modest." 

"Where did you meet him?" Petra seemed genuinely interested, and Eren could not possibly deny her. It was a relief to finally speak of the man she loves.

"In this castle, actually. Father had invited him to...express his gratitude." Eren blushed at the memory of first running into him. "I was walking with Jean when I passed him in the corridor. He didn't bow, or even regard us in any way. Jean was frustrated and ordered him to bow in our presence..."

_"I cannot find a proper wife. I'm afraid Father would be enraged." Jean complained as he and his sister walked down the halls._

_"Don't worry about it, Jean. I believe you should avoid rushing it. I know you only want one marriage, so make it worth all this search." As they turned a corner, they walked right past another man. His strides were brisk, but as Eren caught sight of the cloak he wore, she knew he was the soldier, Humanity's Strongest, that her father had called in._

_"Pardon!" Jean spoke in a loud voice full of authority. The man stopped and turned with a scowl on his face. Eren remained quiet as she watched the exchange._

_"What?"_

_"In case you hadn't noticed, you have just walked by a pair of the royal family, including the princess. Show some respect." Eren stepped back, slightly embarrassed at being mentioned. This man was perhaps the only she had seen who didn't live in the royal castle._

_"I'm probably old enough to be your dad." The man said in a surprisingly smooth voice. "I'm not bowing down to a kid." He turned around and continued his trek, but Jean quickly caught up to him. He yanked his shoulder to turn him around and the man pushed his arm away._

_"If you won't bow to me, at least show some respect to the princess." Jean said, pointing at Eren, who avoided both of them._

_The soldier was about to say something when a voice boomed from the other end of the corridor._

_"Ah, Levi!" The soldier stiffened and offered up a salute, then bowed when the king came closer. Jean moved aside, politely giving his father more space to speak to the man. Eren still stood a few feet away, her body stiff in her father's presence._

_"Your majesty."_

_"I see you've met my children. Jean, this man is Humanity's Strongest." The king said, a kind smile on his face._

_"More like Humanity's Rudest." Jean mumbled, but claimed it was nothing when the King asked what he had said. He excused himself and walked away gracefully, his sister tagging along with him._

_"Do not be upset about that." He said with a hand on Eren's back. She realised he was trying to comfort her, but was sure he was the one in need of comfort._

The second time she met him had been in the village about a year later.

_Eren was walking in the village for the first time since her father granted her permission. It was something astounding to her; to witness hundreds of different faces and thousands of different things that she doesn't normally see in the castle's limited space._

_People walking past would instantly recognize her and bow, others would ask her questions, such as, "are your brothers married, yet?", "is either one of them searching for a wife?","I've never seen you out here. Is this your first time in a village?"_

_Some children would even ask her what the castle is like, and she couldn't deny their requests._

_She was sitting on a curb, calmly telling a small boy what living in the castle was like and occasionally speaking to him of little adventures she enjoyed with her brothers. Suddenly, the boy's eyes shift to something behind her and he gasps._

_"Look!" He yelled, pointing at that he was looking at. Eren turned around to see a man, short stature, black hair and a very familiar undercut. "It's Humanity's Strongest!"_

_The child grabbed the princess's hand and pulled her off the curb, almost dragging her towards him._

_"Uh--no, don't--" The boy did not hear her and continued pulling her. He stopped in front of the man, his index still pointed at him._

_"You're Humanity's Strongest!" He chirped. Said man raised a perfect eyebrow as he eyed both._

_"And you're dragging a girl around." He stated monotonously._

_"She's the princess!" The boy retorted, his voice cheery and high. "Come sit with me! She'll tell us all about the big castle!"_

_"I've been to the castle. It ain't that big, kid." The child seemed quite disappointed, and his grip on Eren's hand loosened, while she tightened hers._

_"Don't say that about her home." He said in a small voice._

_"Yeah, I'll say whatever the fuck I wanna say--"_

_"Hey!" Eren interrupted, anger boiling in her veins. "He is a child! Don't speak so rudely to him!" If the man was taken aback by that, he didn't let it show. His face remained impassive, even the purse of his lips giving nothing away._

_"My bad, princess." People were watching them as they passed, some even stopping to get a closer look. Eren had an idea. She was aware that it would probably humiliate him, but at the moment, he deserved it._

_"You haven't bowed." She stated, making sure her voice reached their growing audience. Humanity's Strongest being scolded by the Virgin Princess. The press were about to have a field day._

_"I said I'm sorry," he mumbled, aware of the eyes on them._

_"Bow." She ordered, surprised that her voice remained firm and didn't waver. The soldier grit his teeth and sighed deeply. Slowly, almost forcefully, he bent down so he was nearly the kid's height. Said kid grinned brightly._

Petra giggled uncontrollably, covering her mouth with her hand. Eren giggled along.

"I cannot believe you convinced Humanity's Strongest to bow to you." She said in between giggles.

"I don't think he would have done it if we didn't have an audience." Eren said, smiling. "The man had a reputation to keep. Even if it had already been soiled, it would definitely bury his name in the dirt to disobey a royal."

Petra opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a timid knock on the large bedroom door. It opened slowly, and Armin's head peeked through the gap. Petra immediately stood up and excused herself, walking past Armin with a bow.

"Eren. May I speak with you?" Eren wanted to tell him to stop speaking formally with her, she was his sister after all, but she knew that was how he spoke with everyone regardless of who they were. He just couldn't help it.

"Of course." The princess replied. 

Armin sat on the bed beside her, where Petra was earlier.

"So where did you really get the earrings?" He asked. Eren froze, and she was sure her face had become whiter than a sheet. "Do not feel obligated to tell me. But you can, if you wish to." She looked down at her twiddling fingers, sighing heavily. She could trust Armin. He had given her plenty of reasons to do so. She was just afraid he would not accept it. She didn't feel obligated to tell him. She Only felt it was right to.

"From a man." Silence enveloped them both, but Armin remained as calm as ever. There was something in his eyes, though. Something that Eren failed to see as she stared at her own long fingers. Perhaps it was fear. Worry. 

"Eren," he said finally, touching her arm with his warm hand. "Are you...in a relationship with him?" She knew what he was worried about, though. Dating was even worse than marriage. Not only in the castle, but the entire land. To form a relationship with somebody, sexual or romantic, was a felony. The Virgin Land was called that for a reason, and having a child before marriage was a golden ticket to execution, harshly enough.

For a princess, it was a one-way ticket to a life of shame, and possibly being disowned.

"He's my husband." She whispered. He was quite for another minute before petting her head and sliding his hand down to her earring. He held it between his finger then smiled.

"Well, it still looks wonderful." He said before planting a kiss on her temple. "Would it be possible for me to meet him sometime?" Eren had to stop herself from saying yes right away and cleared her throat. 

"He's a soldier." 

"Oh," Armin inched closer to her and rubbed her back. It seemed like everybody was doing that these days. "Don't worry. He'll be fine. They have Humanity's Strongest with them!" He beamed and Eren cringed at that. Armin was too observant to miss that, though, and he caught it right away.

"He's Humanity's Strongest, isn't he?" She nodded weakly and he sighed.

"Come on, I'm taking you to the village." He said standing up.

"What? Why?" She asked as he pulled her up by her arm. 

"Because Father says I should search for a wife there and you need to mingle. Maybe you will forget about your worries for a while."

* * *

The village was the same as it always was. Different faces, people bowing everywhere they went, kids asking them questions. Only this time, Eren had Armin by her side. And a 0% chance of running into Levi.

Two guards escorted them from a distance. They kept their eyes strictly on the siblings, but did nothing to disturb them. 

"There!" Armin pointed at a small shop as they entered the market. It hung jewellery at its front. "I must get you a congratulatory present!" He pulled her to the shop and asked her to pick whatever she liked. She smiled brightly at him and looked around. While she did so, the woman whom they both assumed owned this shop waited patiently. 

Eventually, Eren picked out a necklace and handed it to the blonde, bored looking woman. She looked older than her, But perhaps around Armin's age.

While Armin paid, Eren looked around. In front of the shop next to them, two women spoke in barely restrained voices.

"Have ye heard 'bout what happened to the poor soldiers sent out?" One of them asked. The other nodded quickly.

"Oh, yes, I have! They say that even the one they call the strongest was captured. A pity, really." Eren clutched the fabric above her chest as she felt her heart break in two. They had just left in the morning. It had been less than 24 hours. They had already lost? 

"I'm glad my son didn't join the army. Did you see how messed up the ones who made it back were? They were just three and they looked like they'd watched the world burn before them." The woman paused as she purchased a purse from the shop, and it was while they were walking away that Eren heard words that had her blood run cold. 

"The soldiers--the ones that were captured--, they're all dead, I'm sure of it. I'd even put money on it."

Eren didn't hear what Armin was saying as she picked up the bottom of her dress and ran in the other direction. Tears would have brimmed her eyes if she didn't feel so confused. Her husband could be dead, and yet she knew he wouldn't be. He couldn't be.

She could hear Armin and the guards following her, but could not fully process what their footsteps meant. She arrived at the palace and ran through the gates, not even waiting for the guards to open them completely before slipping through the slim gap. 

As soon as she walked through the castle doors, she bumped into something and fell back. 

"Eren. Why are you in such a rush?" Mikasa asked as she helped her up. Eren didn't answer and pushed past her, heading up the stairs. Slipping past Petra, too, she finally arrived at her room, slightly out of breath.

Mikasa, Armin, Jean (when did he show up?) and Petra all followed after her, wanting to know what was going on. They all spoke at once, creating an even bigger knot in the princess's mind as she opened her closet.

"Quiet!" She snapped. The snaps of their jaws were audible, but nobody made a sound afterwards. "Everybody, get out."

"Not until you explain yourself." Mikasa said.

"What's going on?" Jean asked.

"What's wrong?" Petra asked.

Armin remained quiet, his eyes knowing but still a little confused.

"I'm leaving." She said sternly. "Don't try to stop me." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it was boring or bad. I was just writing to my hearts content, not really focusing.
> 
> I made a couple changes in this chapter, they're not really major but some parts didn't make sense before, so I changed them now.


	3. Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize I probably should not have started this story while I'm still in the middle of writing another one...
> 
> Can you spot the difference between the part I wrote about 2 years ago and what I wrote today?

"I'm leaving. Don't try to stop me."

Eren opened her closet and began taking out the clothes she kept hidden in the bag. They all consisted of pants and t-shirts, comfortable but not suitable for a princess. 

All four people in her room stood gaping at her, trying to make sense of what she had said. There was the shock on her choice of words, then the words themselves, and Mikasa was steaming by the time she processed her sister's words.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" She asked through gritted teeth. "Where are you gonna go?"

Eren didn't reply, opting to focus on bringing other necessities. She was in a hurry and her mind was far too unclear for anything, but she needed to make sure she had everything she could possibly need. If--when--she finds Levi, she wants to be able to treat him if he was hurt. 

"Petra, bring me a hiking bag--"

"Petra, don't." Mikasa interrupted. "Eren, put those back in the closet and snap out of it!" Eren scowled at her and turned to Petra.

"Please, Petra."

"No!"

"Mikasa! Just shut up!" Eren snapped. Her face turned red as all the built up emotions converted to anger. Mikasa seemed taken aback, and the frown disappeared from her face to be replaced by shock. "All of you, get out. And Petra, please bring me a hiking bag." 

Petra hesitated before nodding and following the princes as they hesitantly walked out. Mikasa lingered behind, doing nothing but staring at Eren. 

"What are you hiding from me?" She asked, sounding hurt. 

"I'm hiding it from you for a reason."

It wasn't that she didn't trust her. She knew Mikasa would go through thick and thin to assure her safety and happiness. But that also meant she would do anything to keep her safe; even if it means separating her from her lover. If it was any other situation, there would be a chance that Eren would tell her all about Levi, but telling her now would ensure their father finding out.

A tear slid down Mikasa's cheek and she hurried to wipe it off, walking away briskly. The door shut with a click, and suddenly everything came crashing down onto Eren. She sat on the edge or the bed as she cried, replaying Levi's words in her head. He had promised. 

Perhaps it was stupid to hold on to a promise that she never believed in the first place, but it was the only slither of hope she had left. The slither of hope wasn't gone. It was far from so. She just had to fulfill that promise for him, since he couldn't do it alone. She will bring him back. 

There was a knock on the door before Petra stepped in. Wordlessly, she dropped the bag on Eren's bed the knelt in front of her. She stroked her hair and wet face, tears brimming in her own eyes.

"You have to think about this. You have your family here. There is a possibility he is strong enough to make it back on his own. You shouldn't risk yourself." Her words seemed desperate to Eren, but they did nothing to change her mind. The princess shook her head and gently pulled Petra's hand away. Silently, she packed the bag with almost everything she had lain out on the bed, then changed into a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. 

Eren failed to notice Petra walking out, as well as the clothes she had packed for her. 

Zipping up the bag, she slung it over her shoulders and made for the window. She took a deep breath then opened it, letting the cool breeze enter the room, before she stood on the windowsill. 

She had seen Levi do this multiple times, but looking down at the ground below, she realised it was going to be a difficult feat. Grabbing onto a few of the many vines branching from the ground and clutching to the bricks of the castle, she eased herself out of the window so she was hanging from the plant. Her legs searched for any kind of perch, and when she found none, she decided to rely completely on her arms. 

She eased herself down, her arms aching and her body stretched uncomfortably, but she disregarded it. Thankfully, this wall was out of everybody's sight, therefore she landed unseen, and continued straight ahead.

She arrived at a gate that was far too tall to climb, and the only other way out was through the main gate, which was heavily guarded. The latter was out of the question. Being seen by guards, or anybody who recognizes her would surely send word to her father, and she hoped to keep him oblivious for as long as possible. 

Eren was crouched in front of the gates, trying to figure something out when alarms sounded. One of the servants rushed out of the palace and yelled, "the princess is gone!" before running back inside, most of the guards following him in, leaving the gates under the watch of only two of them. 

Cussing Mikasa under her breath, Eren trudged closer to the main gate, the only one that actually opened. She had to move quickly, for the guards would be back out as soon as they received their orders. It was a difficult task at best. She still had two guards to move past.

Unfortunately for Eren, they were both on horses, so it would be impossible to pass them without getting caught or trampled over. For a moment, she thought of somehow scaring them off, but these horses were nearly impossible to frighten, trained as they were.

**Eren's POV**

I was crouching, barely hidden behind a small tree, with my side resting against the cool bars of the gate. My breathing was ragged, my mind jumbled up in panic as I struggled to figure something out. I had to get off the ground quickly, otherwise I'll be caught and only God knows what shall happen next.

I was definitely going to be mercilessly punished, for attempting to escape and for having a disgraceful, immoral relationship. The soldiers should be coming out in just a minute, and if I didn't think something through soon enough, I would have no means of escape. 

I did not let those thoughts linger for too long. I had to find Levi.

Suddenly, the hairs on my neck stood, and I felt somebody's eyes on me. I scanned the area surrounding me and found Jean and Armin standing against a wall, hidden in the shadows. Jean put a finger against his lips, telling me to keep quiet, while Armin inched closer to the corner. I don't know what I expected, but he abruptly pushed himself off the wall and sprinted towards the two guards. He stopped to take his breath before them, and they saluted.

He said something to them that I was too far away to hear and they did not hesitate before nodding and riding off with their horses. I stared incredulously. 

"Come on," Jean's voice suddenly sounded as he lifted me up from the ground. We ran towards Armin, who struggled to push the heavy gates open, even with help from Jean.

"Wait, you can't come." I said, stopping in front of them. Jean raised an eyebrow at me while Armin panted at his side.

"We're coming, Eren. It's such a freaking bore around here. This is probably the most exciting thing that's ever happened." Jean said. Armin smiled a tiny smile and turned to me.

"I would love to help you find him." He said, and I couldn't help but feel warmth spreading in my chest. I was still hesitant about letting them come along, but now that my mind was less hazy and the clouds impairing my better judgement were gone, I knew that I would need their help. I could hardly make it out of the place I knew best. But to enter a town that declared themselves our enemies alone, I would be idiotic to hope to come out unharmed. Or alive. Logically, I'd need their help if I wished to find and rescue Levi. 

Before I can say anything, the castle doors open swiftly, and the guards that were called in before reemerged. Upon noticing my brothers and I standing at the open gates, they began to hurry towards us, with intent to capture us.

**Levi**

"We really should have seen this coming."

"But we didn't, and now we're here."

"Hanji and Levi, this is really not the time for meaningless bickering." 

Levi scoffed, and then there was some rustling. 

"Ow, who's sitting on my leg?" Hanji asked, then yelped again when her foot was hit.

"Why is your leg all the way here, four-eyes?" 

"Well, Levi, there's not really much space for my legs to be. Just because you can keep your short legs tucked doesn't mean we all have to." 

Another scoff, then a heavy sigh from Erwin. 

"Are you two done?" He asked wistfully. He could feel an oncoming headache, and whilst this was really not the time for one, it was to be expected. He, Levi and Hanji were the only three that had managed to escape from the enemy carriages that were on their way to the castle dungeons, where the previously captured soldiers were presumed to be. Hanji was right, they really should have seen this coming, but King Grisha Jaegar was far too hasty in his orders, and they were not given ample time to properly plan a rescue and escape. 

After a long moment of silence, Hanji and Levi sitting quietly like scolded children, the latter asked, "How long until they notice that Humanity's Strongest, Weirdest, and Thickest Eyesbrows are missing from their pleasant party?" Humanity's Weirdest chortled at the titles he had assigned her and Erwin, but then hummed thoughtfully.

"I'd say it's been about six hours since we got away. If we assume that they won't notice our absence until they get to the castle, then we've got around three hours left. There's a chance they've already noticed, though."

"That means we need to get moving as soon as possible." Erwin added. "We'll fight the guards outside, that's the only remaining option." 

"You mean we'll get to see the light again?" Levi mocked, "Never thought I'd see the day." He scoffed, earning a kick to the hip from Hanji. 

"Do you have your swords with you?" Erwin asked, ignoring Levi's comments. Levi is always thankful for his commander's dutiful attitude, even if it irritated him quite often. It meant they always got stuff done, regardless of Levi's complaints and backhanded comments.

"I have one," he replied.

"I've got both." Hanji said.

"Alright. We need to get to the horses at camp. Kill the guards if they get in your way, and we are not to disband unless I order you to. Remain in each others' sight at all times." After hearing firm "yes, sir"s from both soldiers, Erwin stood as straight as the small space allowed and began to push at the boulder that they had set up at the mouth of the small cave to keep them hidden. Consequently, it had rendered the cave completely dark, so upon reemerging into the light, Levi found himself momentarily blinded. It probably did not help that when they first entered the cave, it was night, but now it was bright, early morning and all Levi saw all of a sudden was a sword being swung at him.

"Shit!" He yelled and raised his own sword in his right hand to dodge the hit. The swords ground against each other for a second, then the guard pulled his away before quickly swinging it once more, this time aiming towards Levi's left side. This time, Levi threw a kick at the same time he dodged the sword, effectively throwing the guard backwards and moving forwards himself to give Hanji and Erwin enough space to exit the cave. 

"You dirty bastards." The guard spat, taking a step towards Levi at the same time that the latter felt the metal of another sword's handle against his left hand. He blocked the hit with the sword in his right hand whilst grabbing the one handed to him with the other. Swiftly, just as the guard started to pull his weapon preparing for another strike, Levi pushed his left arm forward, embedding him right under the sternum. He choked on his breath and fell to his knees. With the tip of his shoe, Levi pushed the guard's shoulder back, pulling the sword from his body. When the man fell onto his back, Levi stepped over him and swiftly slit his throat, watching the other's face until he was sure he'd died.

“Let’s keep moving, Levi.” Erwin said sternly, carefully eyeing the corpse underneath his subordinate’s foot. Levi nodded, handing Hanji her sword back and following behind her and the commander. Levi watched closely as Hanji approached Erwin and leaned closer to him.

“Why do you look so uneasy?” She asked, eyeing the side of his face worriedly. His eyebrows were furrowed more than usual, and his lips were twisted in an unpleasant frown.

Erwin turned to study her face for a moment before sighing. His head was pounding by now, but that’s not at all what’s bothering him anymore. “That soldier…” he said, “he couldn’t have been older than 14.”

“Well, we did hear that they were recruiting soldiers early—” Hanji tried to reason before she was interrupted by Erwin.

“Not that early, Hanji. He was a child."

Levi flinched, turning his head away. His eyes flickered briefly to the corpse they left behind but he shut them quickly, forcing the guilt away. He hadn’t killed a child, he had killed an enemy, one who would not have hesitated to kill him.

When Levi faced forwards again, he saw Hanji staring back at him, something akin to pity in her eyes. He glared in return until she turned away and they continued to walk in silence.

 


End file.
